Free Lady Olivia To The Rescue by Julia Parks

on the front door, and Olivia waited to see who was calling.
    Witchell turned toward her and announced, “Lord Sheridan and Sir Richard Adair, my lady.”
    Going forward with her hand extended, Olivia managed a composed, “Sir Richard, how good to see you again. And you have brought along Lord Sheridan.”
    “I hope you do not mind, Lady Olivia,” said the charming Sir Richard with a wink.
    Ignoring this familiarity, Olivia smiled broadly. “Certainly not. You know that I said you should bring your other friends. Good afternoon, Lord Sheridan.”
    “Good afternoon, Lady Olivia,” he replied. “Thank you for including me.”
    “Not at all. I am delighted you could come. Won’t you follow me to the drawing room?”
    So the marquess had agreed to come. She had not been at all certain that he would accept his friend’s invitation. Olivia smiled. She hoped Lord Sheridan would take a fancy to one of the two young ladies she had invited.
    She was a fool, perhaps, to engage in all this matchmaking. It had not been enough that Mr. Pendleton would escort her aunt. Now she had added the good doctor. And for the marquess, two very pretty young ladies to choose from.
    Would that someone would be so kind as to do a little matchmaking for her!
    Twenty minutes later, the picnickers were on their way in two large traveling carriages and on horseback. Olivia turned her bay mare and fell in behind the first carriage. A moment later, Lord Sheridan joined her there.
    “When we get out of the city, we should move ahead of the carriages, you know.”
    “And why should we do that, Lord Sheridan?” she asked.
    “To avoid the dust. Unless you enjoy eating the dust kicked up by a team of horses and a lumbering carriage.”
    She laughed and shook her head. “I enjoy cantering across a nice meadow of green grass, but I will settle for being in the lead of this caravan.”
    “Surprising,” he muttered.
    Olivia frowned and turned in her saddle to face him. “Why would you say that, my lord?”
    “Only that I did not expect you to be so sensible.”
    “You have a very low opinion of me, my lord,” she replied, thanking heaven that she had brought along Miss Featherstone’s silly cousin and Miss Hollingsworth to entertain the maddening man. Misanthropist, indeed. He was nothing more than a smug coxcomb.
    “You are put out with me, Lady Olivia—once again.”
    “I don’t know what you are talking about, my lord. I have no opinion of you, one way or the other.”
    “Ah, and now you are lying. You are not very good at it, you know. Your eyes get very wide when you lie.”
    She turned her head away as her cheeks reddened, but she refused to reply. She had learned through the years that it did no good to argue with children or fools.
    “A word to the wise, my lady. You should not play any card games where you must try to bluff your opponent. You would lose your fortune in a matter of minutes.”
    Turning her sweetest smile on him, she said, “I would never dream of doing anything so foolish, Lord Sheridan. Isn’t it a lovely day?”
    That delicious smile appeared, and he said, “Perfectly lovely.”
    Just then, Mr. Thomas moved up to join them and said, “Let us move in front of the carriages.”
    “A capital idea,” said Lord Sheridan, kicking up his horse and moving ahead.
    Olivia followed with Mr. Thomas and Miss Hollingsworth, who had also chosen to ride.
    Allowing the two gentlemen to ride ahead, Olivia said, “A handsome man, Lord Sheridan.”
    “He is well enough,” said the young lady. “Mama says he is worth a fortune, and that, of course, makes him acceptable. Still and all, he is rather old. I mean, he might be quite suitable for you, but for me?”
    Olivia sucked in a quick breath of air as if hit in the stomach. Glancing sideways, she managed a smile. “In time, Miss Hollingsworth, I believe you will find that age is not as important as wisdom.”
    The young lady flipped her long curls in disdain. “But you